REDMOND, Wash. — Oct. 4, 2012 — As World Teachers’ Day
approaches, Microsoft Corp. is announcing the new 2012–2013 Microsoft
Innovative Pathfinder and Mentor Schools being inducted as part of its Innovative Schools program.
The 99 new Pathfinder Schools and Mentor Schools from 51 countries were
chosen because they have strong school leadership and have established a
record of innovation and successful change implementation. The U.S.
schools were selected from Alaska, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, South
Carolina, Virginia and Washington. They have demonstrated student
success and are great showcases for how one-to-one computing, rethinking
curriculum design, bringing innovation to scale for a district, and
creating a climate for technological advancement through professional
development can improve learning environments to make a real impact on
transforming education.
“These U.S. schools and districts are inspiring examples of how
school leaders can push boundaries and drive real change by captivating
students’ interest in learning through creative teaching with
technology,” said Byron V. Garrett, U.S. Innovative Schools program
director, Microsoft. “We know technology alone does not improve student
outcomes, but schools with dynamic staff like these are models for why
we need to scale more broadly. They show others how to undergo
systematic change and increase teacher professional development to make a
difference for students.”
The Microsoft Innovative Schools program is an educational program
that is part of the Microsoft Partners in Learning Program, a 10-year,
nearly $500 million commitment to help transform education systems
around the world by connecting teachers and school leaders in a
community of professional development. The Innovative Schools program
helps school leaders transform their school communities into
environments that foster innovative teaching practices and 21st century
learning by providing the tools and resources needed for greater impact
on educational transformation and student preparation. Through the
program, school
leaders become part of a global learning community and
get access to expert advice and mentoring. A key component of the
program is for each school leader to build sharable assets and create
tools for other schools to leverage.
First-Year Participants
Microsoft Innovative Pathfinder and Mentor Schools are making the
most of these benefits provided to them and are selected through a
rigorous application process that includes written and video
documentation. Pathfinder Schools have demonstrated a record of
innovation that has transformed education and improved student outcomes
in their education systems and local communities.
“I am enthusiastic about our designation as a Microsoft
Innovative Pathfinder district because this designation will facilitate
our sharing and reflecting on best practices with other innovative
districts. This type of interaction leads to professional learning and
ultimately to improved student achievement,” said Eric Williams, Ed. D.,
superintendent, York County School District.
“As the third-largest school district in the country, Chicago is
committed to providing every student with the opportunity to succeed in a
global economy,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago. “It’s innovative
collaborations like this one with Microsoft that allow us to give
parents a variety of options for a quality education that is best for
their children.”
The following are the six U.S. schools inducted as Pathfinder Schools this year:
• Lake View High School
(Chicago). Lake View is a Chicago public school with an emerging
schoolwide Early College STEM program. Lake View’s collaboration with
Microsoft and DePaul University provides opportunities for students to
develop 21st century academic, technical and life skills for college and
beyond. Lake View offers an interdisciplinary Early College STEM
program in three IT-related pathways: traditional STEM, arts and
humanities. The school’s focus this year is to discover new pathways for
increasing student learning in the real world. Through the Early
College STEM program, students will be able to earn dual college credit
and industry certifications before their graduation.
• Great Falls Elementary School
(Great Falls, S.C.). Great Falls teachers use a variety of effective
technological strategies to engage students through an innovative,
challenging curriculum that is focused on inquiry-based, hands-on
learning. Teachers work collaboratively to create a culture of
excellence by using technology to support learning across the curriculum
to address the specific needs of students based on assessment data. As
a Professional Development School with Winthrop University, teachers
use the Lucy Camera to not only reflect on their teaching practices, but
also to share what they have learned about effectively integrating
technology into the curriculum with teachers locally and nationally.
Great Falls Elementary provides an innovative professional learning
culture that allows teachers to collaborate with schools across the
world to gain professional knowledge and expertise in innovative
instructional strategies.
• Loudoun County Public Schools
(Ashburn, Va.). Providing mobile devices, a robust wireless network and
a learning management system allows Loudoun County Schools to teach
with rigorous academic standards through the use of multimedia
resources. Loudon County Public Schools developed The Power of Everyone:
Collaborations in 21st Century, an instructional initiative designed to
connect K–12 students and teachers with other educators from both
formal and informal educational institutions around the world.
• Birmingham Covington School
(Bloomfield Hills, Mich.). The school is committed to being a Global
Learning Hub where people can see, learn and participate in
intellectually rich, future-orientated activities. Seeking to keep pace
with real-world skills that will be demanded of students when they exit
the public school system, Birmingham Covington conceived a project
titled “Engage,” designed to engage students in problem-based and
project-based activities that integrate elements of science, technology
education and language arts, as well as the four elements of the enGauge
21st Century Skills: Digital-Age Literacy, Inventive Thinking,
Effective Communication and High Productivity. The enGauge project is
based on the premise that pre-K–12 schools should incorporate 21st
century skills and proficiencies into school curriculum within the
context of academic standards.
• York County School Division
(Yorktown, Va.). The school created a districtwide
“bring-your-own-technology initiative” where emphasis is placed on
Transformative Learning, meaning students master content and skills
while making a difference locally, nationally and globally. Students and
teachers bring their own technology to school to complement
district-purchased devices. They connect to the district’s wireless
network with smartphones, laptops, netbooks, tablets, e-readers, MP3
players and other Internet-ready devices to use the district network’s
resources anytime, anyplace and from any device with an Internet
connection.
• Medina Elementary School
(Medina, Wash.). The staff members at Medina are working to instill
lifelong learning skills and strategies through a variety of methods,
including using the district common curriculum, extensions inside and
outside the classroom, and technology to ensure students are prepared
for life. Medina staff members provide opportunities for support and
extension of the curriculum through differentiation focus on 21st
century learning and collaboration. Teachers participate in bimonthly
professional development trainings based around application of 21st
century learning in the classroom. Students have a half day of school
each Wednesday (districtwide) to provide teachers with collaboration and
planning time for instruction.
Mentoring for Success
Microsoft Innovative Mentor Schools go a step further to share
best practices with Pathfinder Schools, help them develop a vision and
help them implement a plan to transform the way their schools operate.
“McGlone Elementary’s participation in the Innovative Schools
program has helped us increase student achievement by learning how to
integrate new technology like netbooks, online learning environments,
Promethean Boards, learner response systems and innovative teaching
practices, such as letting students choose how they demonstrate their
learning (videos, podcasts, Prezi, etc.), assigning and turning in work
online, and collaborating with international students via
videoconferencing and blogging,” said Daniel Sharpe, instructional
technology leader, McGlone Elementary, Denver. “Partners in Learning
allows both teachers and our students to collaborate with international
schools to share knowledge and best practices. This year, as a Mentor
School, we look to continue this wonderful program by coaching
international schools to help them reach their potential in innovative
teaching, technology and ultimately prepare students for the future.”
The following are this year’s Mentor School inductees:
• McGlone Elementary School
(Denver). The school is part of the School Turnaround program, an
intensive intervention and leadership development initiative that helps
principals turn around failing or underperforming schools. McGlone is
using innovation to gain greater flexibility in certain areas of school
operation such as curriculum and instruction, staffing, the use of time,
and professional development. Students utilize 21st century learning
strategies and high-quality resources. McGlone is committed to ensuring
that all fifth-grade students’ transition to middle school with the
academic skills, language skills and social skills they will need for
success in secondary school, college and careers. It serves as a model
for successful educational reform for schools across the country.
• Highland Tech Charter School
(Anchorage, Alaska). The school is dedicated to a mastery-learning
model. Attention is placed on individual student learning needs through
project-based learning that integrates technology as a key learning
tool. Student voice and ownership is encouraged and expected. Multi-age
learning environments demonstrate an emphasis on performance over (seat)
time. The transparent curriculum is driven by standards, which details
what students’ must know and be able to do to receive a diploma. The
standards are aligned to local, state and national expectations and
reviewed tri-annually. Students are involved in community service,
shadowships and internships providing an extensive School to Work
program. A commitment to continuous improvement through
Performance-Based Learning, Share Leadership and a Shared Vision are the
cornerstones to students’ success.
Representatives from the 2012–2013 Pathfinder and Mentor Schools will attend the Partners in Learning Global Forum,
Nov. 28–Dec. 1 in Prague, Czech Republic. While there, these
representatives will have the opportunity to participate in professional
development workshops and network with innovative instructors from
around the world who have been recognized by the program this year.
Today’s announcement coincides with World Teachers’ Day,
established in 1994 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization to celebrate the profession and to promote
international standards for teaching.
The Innovative Schools Program is open to any primary or
secondary school worldwide that has a focus on creating a culture of
innovation that advances the use of Microsoft technology in the learning
process, as well as enables students to develop 21st century skills.
Schools must sign up for the Partners in Learning Network,
a free network giving school leaders and teachers access to a broad
range of resources, content, assessment tools, training events, videos,
monthly virtual universities, participation in local-level Partners in
Learning forums and the Partners in Learning School Research tool to
help measure their own innovation. Those schools seeking a deeper level
of engagement in the program can then apply to become a Microsoft
Innovative Pathfinder School and work toward achieving Microsoft
Innovative Mentor School status. More about Partners in Learning, and
the opportunity to sign up for the network, is available at http://www.microsoft.com/education/pil/partnersInLearning.aspx.
About Microsoft Partners in Learning
Microsoft Partners in Learning is a 10-year, nearly $500 million
commitment by Microsoft to help education systems around the world.
Since its inception in 2003, the Partners in Learning program has
reached more than 210 million teachers and students in 119 countries.
Partners in Learning helps educators and school leaders connect,
collaborate, create and share so students can realize their greatest
potential. The online Partners in Learning Network is one of the world’s
largest global professional networks for educators, connecting millions
of teachers and school leaders around the world in a community of
professional development.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader
in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses
realize their full potential.
Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news.
Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of
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